Locking device for indicating and control apparatus



Aug. 4, 1953 T. M. MATHISON 2,647,434

LOCKING DEVICE FOR INDICATING AND CONTROL APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1951 Fig. 4A

' Fig. 2

Theodore M. Mothison INVENTOR.

PATENT ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1953 LOCKING DEVICE FOR INDICATING AND CONTROL APPARATUS Theodore M. Mathison, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Boeing Airplane Company, a corporation of Delaware Application J une 19, 1951, Serial No. 232,352

6 Claims. 1 The present invention relates generally to indicating and control apparatus and more particularly to an improved locking device for the dials or indicators of such apparatus.

In the operation of controls of the rotary type it is frequently desirable to lock the control dial or other member in a given position of adjustment at which it is desirable that it not be inadvertently moved or otherwise disturbed. Numerous locks have been proposed for control members such as dials and knobs, but for the most part they have not proven entirely satisfactory due to the locking means frequently distorting or disturbing the desired adjustment which it was intended to preserve and for various other reasons such prior locks have proven objectionable, particularly where vibration service requirements have been rigid.

The present invention is directed to an improved locking device which may preferably take the form of an internally threaded locking member which engages the external threads of a collett-type shaft engaging portion of a mounting nut by which the control instrumentality is mounted upon a wall or panel. The dial or other indicating means, is preferably directly fixed to the shaft of the control device in a surrounding relationship with respect to the internally threaded locking member, with a portion of the dial knob or hub cut away to provide access for the locking member. The improved device has proven extremely satisfactory particularly where critical or fine adjustments of the control apparatus are required to be made and positively retained without the slightest disturbance during the locking procedure, which may be accomplished by a single hand of the operator.

It is accordingly a major object of the present invention to provide an improved locking device for a dial or other indicating means mounted upon a control shaft or pivot. It is a further object to provide such a locking means which will not disturb or distort the adjusted setting of the control. It is a still further object to provide a single mounting member for the attachment of a control device to a wall or panel which member serves also to frictionally grip the control shaft for fixedly locking the same with respect to the control device and the panel. A further object resides in an improved arrangement of the locking member which engages the mounting nut for directly locking the control shaft to the device and to the panel, and separately from the dialor other indicating means. Other objects and advantages of the present invention, both with respect to its overall arrangement and the details of its respective parts, will become obvious to those skilled in the art after reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view oi'a portion of a panel and a control unit upon which the improved device has been mounted;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, as taken along the lines 2--2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the dial member as taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, partly broken away showing the mounting nut member; and

Fig. 4A is a similar partly cross-sectioned ele-. vational view of the locking member.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 5 represents a control device, instrument or similar instrumentality arranged for mounting upon the panel or wall 6 for adjustment by an operator, and to be maintained at any desired setting. The control instrumentality 5 may be an electronic unit or similar equipment which may be sub- .lected to considerable vibration such as in aircraft, ships, or other vehicles, although it will be understood that the present invention is general in character and is equally applicable to other devices which may require adjustment and locking. The control unit 5 is preferably provided with a plurality of mounting lugs or bosses 5a with a central enlarged circular boss to coaxially aligned with the mounting thread 50 and the control shaft 5d. It will be understood that the threaded male mounting stud 5c is fixed with respect to the housing of the control unit 5 and is internally bored to provide a guide and bearing for the control shaft 5d which is preferably operatively connected to the moving portions of the unit 5.

The panel or other mounting wall 6 is preferably provided with a central aperture or hole to to receive and permit protrusion of the threaded stud 5c therethrough with the bosses 5a and-5b bearing against the back of the panel. A mounting head nut l is provided with an external hex' agonal nut portion la, which may be of other polygonal shape to receive and be turned by a suitable Wrench, and is internally threaded at lb to engage the male thread 50 of the mounting stud of the unit '5. The mounting nut I is also provided with a reduced diameter collett or gripping sleeve portion having an internal bore to fit about the shaft 5d. This sleeve portion of the mounting nut l is provided with external threads 1d and its externally coned sleeve portion 1e as well as the threads 7d are provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots U which permit of the springing, compressing and clampin of this; portion ofthe mounting nut about the shaft 5d;

An annular locking member 8 is provided at one end with an enlarged internal bore 8a of sufficient diameter to be rotated with sumcient clearance about the cornersof the nut portion; Ia of the mounting nut 1 and is provided at its other end with a reduced diameter: portion 811 which is internally threaded asat 8b to engage the threads l'd of the mounting nut 1. This end reduced diameter boss portion 811' is provided with an internally coned nose or taper Bc which is formed into a mandrel? portion arranged to exe t-age t e al ta e e or on. is at h 9M e d o he mount n t w in detail in Fig. i. It will accordingly be under- FQQQ- that as he nches em i threa dn a d and g te ed; a a n t e m untin n I which in turn has been locked. to thestudand to the panel 6;, the, camming efiect of the portion 8 cconstricts thesplit terminal collett portion 'ofthe mounting nut l as it is drawn thereon and causes this portion-to frictionally grip the when. shaft 5d and to lock the same with res'pect to the mounting hot i, the panel 5 the stud 5c and al l of the other. fixed portions of the contra unit 5 The locking member 3 as shown in detail in 4A. preferably provided with an eii'ternallyi knurled portion-j 8e by which it may helthreadedly gripped between the fingers of the operator and. rotatedv in the desired direction for either looking or unlocking the shaft 5 d.

control shaft 501 is preferably of. sufficient length tb extend beyond the gripping portionsl e of the mounting nut 1 and through the boss id "er 8, and the extending shaft I ted upon it the dial or knob elem nt' 9, which is shown in detail in Fig. 3. Thedial memb r Eli's providedwith a ilanged portion' Qil" for rotja'tihfi contiguous to the outer face of the. panel a; which flanged phi-non is proiii ded with an openi'n g or internal bore 917" to permit rotation about the outside diameter of theloclring member 8 with sufficient clearance and without interference. The dial member 9" is provided with a pair of ar'cuate yokes' or arms 98 which may preferably be of the same inside diameter as the-opening 9b and extend outwardnhhm the flange so with a uniform thickness to: the knob head 90lw-ith which they are-also integral and serve to: attach to the flange 8a. The, knobi head; ad is provided with an internallooreta. of, a. diameter to receive the projecting portion. ofthe. control\ shaft 5d and asetscrew Si is suitably threaded within the knob head 90}; for fixedly attaching the. same. to. the control shaft 5d, The, outer. face of. the flange 9a. of the dial i preferably be provided with numerals or. other indiciaflg and an index line or ariro wi'fii may preferably be provided uponthe outer face of the panel. 5; by which the indicia may be registered or the dial adjusted to a desired setting] Obviously the arrangement may be re:

versed'ih that the numerals or other indicia may he engraved or otherwise providedupon the panel 6" an'dfthe' di'al utilized merely as a pointer. It will be noted that the knob head 9c is formedas a yokec'o'nriec'tlii 113if I i'irioally' opposed portions slotted gripping portion,

of the flange 9a, the yoke being of a width which is a little more than half of the outside diameter of the locking member 8. The yoke forming the arms and the knob head 9d may accordingly be described as the remaining portion of aclosed end cylinder having an internal bore 9 b from which the opposite andpa-rarllel side segments were removed to expose and provide access to the knurled outside face of the annular locking member 8 which rotates with suitable clearance within the bore 9b of the remaining portion of theorig'i-nal closed end cylinder.

The relatively simple operation of the improved control; unit is accomplished by initially backing off; and rotating the mandrel type locking memher 8 such that the gripping collett portions of themounting nut "I release their frictional contact with the control shaft lid to thereby permit its adjustment with respect to the casing of the unit, the panel 6 and the mounting nut l. Adequate clearance in the axial direction is provided to permit. the locking member 8, to he backed ofif' to a sum dent, extent from the threads 1d without its boss portion 8d, striking the inner face of the knob head Sid, which is suitably counterbored toprovide the adequate clearance Afterthe locking. member" a has been. backed off sufficiently t permit t e shaft 5a. to be unlocked and released the dial member 91 may then be rotated' freely to the desired setting. Then by gripping the knurled p o'r io of the loekihgmem her i} and rotating the same upon thethre'ads Td back to its" locking position at which the control shaft 5d is secured to, the fixed unit of the assembly, the dial member 9 is also automatically locked without being touched, thereby precluding the possibility of the distortion of the con,- trol setting. It will accordingly be seen that by means of, the improved device which has been shown and described a very fine adjustment may be made by the single hand, of. an. operator and then' merely by hining his fingers slightly the adjustment may be secured in the. desired settingwithout disturbance to the control setting. It is likewise possible to unlock] the dial without physically touching the dial and, without loss of its setting in the event the operator decides af-ter unlocking the dial, that hedesires to con-, tinue the adjusted setting and" relocks ity in that position. Heretofore-indial locking: devices where thelock engagesthe dial such an operation would disturb. the setting and. the operator would find it necessary. to again adjust the dial which in a fine-adjustment might. involve considerable time and distraction. from his. other duties.

Other forms and. modifications of the present invention, both. with respect toits. general arrangement and thedetails of' its respective parts, which may occur to those skilled in the art afterreading the foregoing. description, are intended to come within the scope and spirit of this invention, as. more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

1. Ina shaftlocking arrangementfor. a panel:- mounted instrument including a, mounting nut for threadedly attaching the instrument to a panel, an instrument Shaft rotatably mounted within said mounting nut, said mountin nut having external threads and, a longitudinally v a loching{ member threadedlyengaging the external threadsiof said mounting nut for rotation thereon, coactingcone surfaces provided on. said. gripping. portion and 1 a member adaptedv as the result o rotation of the locking member to cause the gripping porti-on to engage the said shaft, and a dial element fixedly attached to said shaft.

2. A locking arrangement for a panel-mounted instrument having a threaded mounting stud and a controllable shaft, comprising a mounting nut threadedly engaging said stud for fixing the instrument to the panel and having a gripping portion, aid shaft rotatably mounted Within said gripping portion of said mounting nut, said gripping portion having external threads and longitudinal slots, a locking member threadedly engaging the threads of said gripping portion for rotation thereon and adapted to cause said gripping portion to clampingly engage said shaft for locking said shaft to said mounting nut, and dial mean fixedly attached to said shaft.

3. In a locking arrangement for a panelmounted instrument including a mounting nut for threadedly attaching the instrument to the panel, an instrument shaft rotatably mounted Within said mounting nut, said mounting nut having external threads and a longitudinally slotted externally coned gripping portion, a dial element fixedly attached to said shaft, and a locking member threadedly engaging the external threads of said mounting nut and having an internally coned nose for causing said gripping portion to clampingly engage and lock said shaft to said mounting nut.

4. A mounting arrangement for a control unit mounted upon an apertured panel comprising a threaded stud fixed to said unit and a movable shaft operatively associated with said unit, said stud and said shaft protruding through said apertured panel, mounting means including an internally threaded portion for engagement with said stud for the mounting of said unit upon said panel, said mounting means having an externally threaded clamping portion coaxially disposed about said shaft, an internally threaded locking member engaging the external threads of said mounting means for clampingly engaging said shaft for locking said shaft to said panel, and dial means fixedly attached to said shaft for rotating said shaft and indicating its position with respect to said panel, said dial mean having removed portions providing access for the manual operation of said locking member.

5. Shaft locking means for a panel mounted control unit having a mounting stud through which extends said shaft and including a mounting nut for threadedly engaging said mounting stud for attaching said unit to said panel, said mounting nut additionally having external threads and a flexible portion co-axially disposed about said shaft, and an internally threaded looking member engaging the external threads and the flexible portion of said mounting nut, said flexible portion clampingly engaging said shaft for locking said shaft in fixed relationship to said panel.

6. Means for locking the control shaft of a panel mounted control unit in fixed relationship to said panel comprising a mounting stud fixed to said control unit and through which extends said shaft, a mounting nut threadedly engaging said mounting stud and having external threads and an integral flexible portion co-axially disposed about said shaft, and a locking member engaging the external threads of said mounting nut as well as said flexible portion thereof for causing said flexible portion to clampingly engage said shaft.

THEODORE M. MATHISON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,876 Hathaway Jan. 3, 1882 1,400,421 Colomb Dec. 13, 1921 1,420,295 Tait June 20, 1922 1,491,342 Eckhardt Apr. 22, 1924 1,907,806 Heintz May 9, 1933 2,401,351 Herbst June 4, 1946 

